Emphasizing the potential for universal access to health information, the New York eHealth Collaborative (NYeC) (@NYeHealth), in conjunction with the New York State Department of Health, released the SHIN-NY 2020 Roadmap: Improving Health in Our Communities. Developed in conjunction with New York State and with stakeholder input, the report highlights the significant progress already underway and details the vision for the next phase of the Statewide Health Information Network for New York (SHIN-NY).

The SHIN-NY is comprised of New York State’s eight regional health information networks connected together to share patient information—including medical records, test results, x-rays, and prescriptions—with providers across the care continuum. When a patient opts in to the network, allowing their data to be accessed electronically, they enable their care team to access key patient data in real time, saving time and resources, and improving care. Organizations using the SHIN-NY are already seeing a significant impact: fewer hospital readmissions and emergency department visits—major goals of state and federal initiatives to improve patient care and rein in costs—and reductions in unnecessary lab tests and x-rays.

“A decade in, the SHIN-NY has allowed healthcare providers to coordinate care across different settings and areas, improving patient experiences and outcomes,” said Valerie Grey, Executive Director of NYeC. “Ultimately, the SHIN-NY will create a 360-view of a patient’s health, empowering them and their care team to create a treatment plan that addresses not only an illness or injury, but underlying conditions, medical history, and social determinants of health.”

“While the SHIN-NY has already become a tremendous public benefit over the past decade, the healthcare and technology landscapes change rapidly and continuously,” said David H. Klein, Chair of the Board of Directors of NYeC; Professor, and Special Advisor to University of Rochester Medical Center. “The strategies outlined in the Roadmap set the course for the ongoing evolution of the SHIN-NY and allow us to fully realize our goal of transforming healthcare in New York State through health information exchange.”

“Today’s technology is being used to streamline communication across the healthcare continuum and provide clinicians and patients access to real time information that can be used to further health goals,” said New York State Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker. “A key component of value-based care includes connecting these health stakeholders in order to present the full picture for successful diagnosis and treatment. The Statewide Health Information Network for New York’s 2020 Roadmap is an ambitious plan which will further New York State’s efforts to improve care, increase fiscal accountability, and enhance the patient-provider relationship.”

On behalf of New York State, NYeC and the regional networks have been collaborating with healthcare stakeholders – including state agencies, providers from large academic medical centers to small private practices, long-term care, behavioral health, home care, health plans, industry associations, and patient advocates – to advance the SHIN-NY and its mission of improving healthcare through the universal exchange of health information.

The SHIN-NY 2020 Roadmap accounts for the continuous shift in the relationship between health and technology, identifying driving trends, such as interoperability, usability, and the shift to value-based care, among others, to consider as the SHIN-NY evolves. The Roadmap also outlines key strategies to meet its goals: ensuring a strong health information exchange foundation across the state; supporting value-based care; enabling interoperability and innovations; promoting efficiency and affordability; and advocating collectively for the SHIN-NY and its stakeholders.

About The New York eHealth Collaborative (NYeC)NYeC is a not-for-profit organization working in partnership with the New York State Department of Health to improve healthcare by collaboratively leading, connecting, and integrating health information exchange across the State. On behalf of New Yok State, NYeC leads the advancement of the Statewide Health Information Network for New York (SHIN-NY), a network to connect healthcare providers statewide, develops policies and standards that support the utilization of health technologies, and assists healthcare providers in adopting and effectively using electronic health records.

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